Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows Blu-ray Review.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a worthy sequel to this great franchise. It’s bigger, bolder and more ambitious, albeit not perfect. It’s an enjoyable romp of mystery and adventure that still holds the same charm that caught us the first time around.

In the
newest instalment of the Sherlock Holmes franchise, we find Holmes
(Robert Downey Jr.) facing of, in a deadly battle of wits against his
greatest adversary; Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris).

The
film doesn’t stop to linger around as we are off on the adventure right
from the opening. With Holmes already knee deep in his shadowy game with
Moriarty, we are dropped right in the middle of it, picking up a year
after the first film had ended. We find Holmes and Watson (Jude Law)
have gone their separate ways and the good Doctor about to be married to
his fiancé, Mary (Kelly Reilly) and things are set in motion from there.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is everything that the previous
film was, but bigger, bolder and a good deal more intricate. All
involved in this film are on top form. Jared Harris gives a particularly
villainous performance as Moriarty. In the public eye, he is a world
renowned author and professor, much loved by his peers and the
community, but behind all that, he is a genius criminal mastermind and
you see that in his performance. The evil behind the public mask he
shows to the world. Other supporting actors deliver great likeable
performances from Noomi Rapace to Stephen Fry as Sherlock’s brother;
Mycroft Holmes (who has the funniest scene in the film).

The
films best scenes come from the Holmes and Moriarty when they are
together, sharing the screen. Playing their unspoken game of wits and
cat and mouse, trying to stop and best the other, they are truly the
best to behold. It’s though these two are so well matched for one
another that you could easily believe that as much of a genius and good
man that Holmes is, Moriarty could easily come out on top and be the
victor of the two. He is Holmes’ intellectual equal, but he is not held
back by good or morality, which makes him so much more dangerous. He is
The Joker to Holmes’ Batman.

If
there were any negative aspects that I would point out it would be that
the film is missing just a fraction of the spark that made the original
so fresh when we first saw it and now, with the sequel, we know what we
are in for, but the film makes up for that with it’s grander scale,
leading actors, set pieces and cracking pace.

Also
the mystery Holmes and Watson are trying to solve is so intricate that
if you let your attention slip for the slightest second and miss a
detail, you may find yourself left behind later in the film, trying to
figure out what is going on. But this is a minor issue as all is
explained by films end.

Picture quality is fantastic, with only the slightest film grain to be
found, while on the opposite side, the audio is flawless. Period pieces
always look and sound so good on Blu-ray. There is such a rich texture
to this world that has been created for us with such detail that it is
imperative to have such rich picture and sound quality to enjoy them
fully. Blu-ray is truly the single best way for we film fans to truly
fantastic cinema.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a worthy sequel to this great
franchise. It’s bigger, bolder and more ambitious, albeit not perfect.
It’s an enjoyable romp of mystery and adventure that still holds the
same charm that caught us the first time around.